Cookies and Cabernet
by Fanfiction's Rookie
Summary: Most people wouldn't want to experience something like that ever again, but Ruby was rather glad that she almost got blown up in the chemistry lab. After all, that was the day she met Cinder... A prequel to 'Family Photos' but can be read alone. Slow burn Fallen Petals.
1. Ice Cream and Cigarettes

**A/N: Well here it is guys! I almost can't believe that I finished it. I really hope you guys enjoy it 'cause this one is all for you.**

 **I do not own RWBY.**

 **...**

 ** _Cookies and Cabernet_**

 ** _..._**

Ruby never precisely knew how her brain worked.

Then again that should've been expected… especially since it functioned on nothing but cookies, chocolate and strawberries. But the statement was even more true one Saturday morning when she found herself standing in front of the gates to the University of Vale, the country's most prestigious institution of higher education, unable to move.

With wide eyed awe she stared up at the colossal building and the black, red and gold banners decorating the front gates and the rest of the building as it fluttered in the breeze. Almost as if to call over everyone who walked past.

Unfortunately for Ruby the seemingly welcoming sight did nothing to stop the paranoia building up in her chest.

This was her dream University, where the heroes of the world were created. Doctors, businessmen, engineers…people who were destined to make a difference in the world. Ever since Ruby was little she knew that she wanted to be a superhero and this was her chance. But then came the thought of somehow messing things up and it didn't help that Ruby was visiting on her own. Usually she'd be accompanied by one of her friends or sister who were all at least two years older than her. The thought made her even more conscious of how small she felt at that moment.

Without meaning to Ruby found herself swaying on her feet, face buried halfway into her favourite red hoodie. A few moments passed where all she could do was stare at the crowds buzzing with excited conversation, while kicking the ground with her boots and feeling rather silly.

 _'Come on Ruby! You're not backing out of this one, not on my watch!'_ She mentally scolded. And with the sudden burst of courage the girl stomped through the gates to the main hall where two rows of students, all dressed in the University's signature uniform, stood. Welcoming everyone with a bright smile, pamphlets and booklets in hand.

Ruby let out a groan of slight annoyance, knowing that she'd have to pass win all those pair of eyes in her.

It wasn't that the girl didn't like people, Ruby loved her friends and family dearly, but around new faces she found herself to be awkward and never knowing what to say. It made first impressions and making new friends difficult, but her grey thoughts were instantly replaced with relief when she saw a head of snow white hair among the others.

"Weiss!" The girl squealed and with a burst of excitement' Ruby rocketed herself with outstretched arms at the familiar face and before the girl could protest, Ruby had her tightly wrapped in a hug, unaware of the the passing stares.

"Let go of me you dolt!" The young woman screeched and made sure to give Ruby a warning glare before straightening out her skirt. "Were in a public place, the least you could do is act like it."

"Sorry Weiss." The girl grinned sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head, further ruffling her crimson tipped locks.

Weiss let out a sigh, knowing very well how Ruby could be at times and offered her friend a small smile. "I'm glad you're could make it." And then proceeded to hand her a booklet but refused to let go as her icy glare met Ruby's shining sliver.

"Blake and I will meet up with you at two o' clock and for the love of Vale. Do. Not. Go. Wandering. Off.'

With that said Ruby scampered off before taking a seat in the back, giddily shuffling around in her seat, gaze wandering about. Everyone around her seemed just as excited as her, but more confident...more intelligent...more important and suddenly it made her feel so out of place.

To be honest Ruby didn't even know why she was invited to this  
Open Day in the first place. Only the students whose combined math and science scores were among the best were personally invited to attend. The girl wasn't unintelligent by any means, she just never thought of herself as that smart. So it came as a very big surprise when Ruby received the invitation. The poor girl hardly slept a wink the previous night…which might be why she slept through most of Professor Ozpin's welcoming speech.

His very...very... _very_ long welcoming speech. As well as the recount of their student's achievements the previous year.

 _'...And the student surprising us all with a 94% average…'  
_  
Ruby was sure that Weiss got all of the academic trophies so she convinced herself that she wouldn't miss anything that important if she zoned out. _'…Fall.'  
_  
But it became very clear that when the groups of people filtered out after the speech, with each group showed around by two students, that Ruby had missed very important information.

Luckily she caught a few words of all of the groups meeting up on the fields, but that's where her luck ended. Ruby had no idea where she was after trying for ten minutes to find it. Now she was walking in an empty hall with classroom doors on each side.

 _'Come on Ruby come on. Don't freak out just-'_ But her attempt to regain focus and to calm down a little bit was quickly cut short when she saw clouds of colour crawling out the entrance of a nearby classroom.

Like a child drawn to an ice cream truck Ruby made her way to the door, overcome by curiosity as to how those colourful plumes of smoke were made.

When she hesitantly stepped inside, with her head popping into the room first, the girl was struck with surprise at how big and well equipped it was. Her eyes flew over every corner before landing on a woman standing at the very back.

Clad in black jeans and red top under a chemical dusted and splattered lab coat she was hard at work. All of her attention fixed on the beakers that oozed red, yellow, green and blue clouds. With her shoulder length black hair covering one side of her face Ruby couldn't help but to think that she looked familiar. But no matter how much Ruby squinted at the woman, she couldn't quite put her finger on a name. Then her gaze shifted to the plastic containers that the woman was opening. She carefully measured off the contents by the milligram before adding the red powder to water in a beaker.

 _'Is she working with Dust?'_ Ruby wondered to herself, already feeling the excitement build up in her chest.

Dust was highly reactive, especially in its raw form but even when handling it can be dangerous, the risk proved to be worth it once mankind discovered what it could do. After the Schnee Dust Company first started mining for those crystals there was no longer anything that limited man in its usage. So Ruby could only wonder what she was up to. When it looked like she was about to prepare for the next step of the second experiment Ruby sneaked closer, eyes never leaving the crimson liquid.

Then with gloved hands and a pair of tongs the woman took hold of a small metal container that leaked ice cold vapour. Whatever it was Ruby was sure that it had to be very...very cold. And once she emptied its contents into the beaker Ruby wondered if it would crystallize.

But instead she was met with a deafening explosion and the sound of shattering glass shooting in every direction.

Desperately trying to get to cover the girl shielded her face and dived behind the counter. There was a moment of silence and Ruby suddenly grew worried about what might have happened to the other woman. Then she heard the shuffling of shoes upon glass and the muttering of cuss words, gradually growing louder until a loud _crash_ of glass being swept off the counter in frustration, followed.

Tentatively the girl stood up and was met with the sight of the woman pacing around, raking her fingers through her hair and revealing a black eye patch where her left eye should've been. As well as the scars crawling from underneath.

Luckily they seemed to be due to a previous accident.

"Are…are you okay?" She managed to choke out, almost shivering when she felt a cold and calculating glare move up and down her body. Suddenly Ruby felt very self conscious.

"Can I help you?" She shot and Ruby was surprised at how uncharacteristically hoarse her voice sounded. That and the look in her amber eye, enough to make the girl sink behind the counter again.

"Hi. Uhm…sorry I just wanted to see what uh... you were working on and stuff. The fog uhm... it was really pretty." The girl finished with a nervous smile, hoping to diffuse the growing tension between them.

"And I suppose you couldn't have knocked beforehand?"

Ruby could tell that the woman was angered at the fact that her experiment had gone so wrong and her unwanted presence, but to be fair Ruby knew that she had been intruding, the girl was never supposed to be here in the first place.

"I'm really really- ouch." Ruby tried to apologize, but was cut short when she felt a jolt of pain shooting up her arm. And when she looked down, the girl let out a surprised gasp upon noticing the gashes on her arm and hand, as well as the shards of glass jutting from out the drying blood.

"Oh no." Was all she managed to say with the only thing snapping her out of her thoughts, being the mentioning of the woman's red painted finger nails to give Ruby her arm.

"Uhm you don't-"

But the woman didn't give Ruby a chance to protest and grabbed hold of the girl's wrist, ignoring her winces as she pulled closer. Only to let go with a sigh as she made her way towards the exit.

"Come with me."

Ruby knew that sigh all too well, it was one that she frequently heard around Weiss when she was either being bothered or being driven into a difficult position yet too polite to say anything. It was obvious that this mess wasn't something the woman wanted to deal with.

"I don't wanna bother you or anything." She tried to protest in hopes of releasing her of the burden that she was clearly being.

"Should I leave you to bleed out then?" The woman asked, the look in her eye indifferent, like it wouldn't matter to her at all. But still however it seemed this woman was offering to help and Ruby didn't like the images of losing a hand, flashing through her mind.

"Oh right… thanks." She stuttered and timidly followed her as she briskly walked through the empty halls. The woman strutted like she had all the confidence in the world, like everything belonged to her even though she wore used-to-be-white sneakers.

For a moment Ruby found herself wishing for that kind of confidence.

They walked further and further from the excited buzz that Ruby could faintly hear coming from the fields.

The girl let out a soft sigh, only then managing to grasp the position she was in. Not only was she nowhere near where Weiss told her to be, but she was also dragging a woman who clearly had better things to do, to patch up the mess she got herself into.

Why didn't she just listen to Weiss and stayed in that same place until they came looking for her?

"Uhm is this the right infirmary?" There was a hint of worry to her voice when they stopped at a locked door.

"I prefer to work in silence." She stated, surprising Ruby completely when she pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the door. "And since you were injured in my presence that makes you my responsibility."

The woman gestured for Ruby to sit on the nearest bed while she rummaged through cabinets for gauze, tweezers and disinfectant.

"I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose." The girl introduced herself with a nervous smile, as if their sudden acquaintance would make her forget that she was letting a complete stranger give her medical treatment. "Sorry I never introduced myself. Kinda busy with not getting blown up and stuff." This time her smile didn't falter under an intense stare.

"…Cinder Fall." The woman finally said, her voice carried some kind of authority when she ripped open a package of disinfectant wipes.

Ruby prepared herself for the pain that she was sure was yet to come but surprisingly Cinder treated her injury with care. The only pain being the occasional sting as she removed the glass and excess blood. The girl didn't know whether looking at her would come off as rudely staring or not doing so would make Cinder think that she found her appearance off-putting. But Ruby looked anyway, watching the woman drift into some kind of rhythm like caring for students who got into trouble was something she was used to.

"I presume this isn't the first time an experiment had gone wrong in your presence Ruby Rose." Cinder stated, breaking the silence as she slowly turned the girl's hand to look for any cuts she might have missed.

"How'd you guess?" Ruby didn't think her being clumsy would be that obvious and the thought brought a blush to her cheeks.

"Perhaps the fact that you didn't run for a faucet once you realised you might be contaminated with Dust particles."

She couldn't help but to chuckle, half embarrassingly scratching the back of her head with her free hand.

"I did that once with a neutralization experiment in tenth grade after I got some stuff on me. I thought the water was gonna burn my hand off or something."

"Well aren't you careless for an aspiring chemist." She stated dryly and began wrapping up the cuts with gauze. Ruby wasn't sure whether it was a compliment or not.

"Why do you think I want to be something like that?"

Although she was finding it very strange how the woman could point things about her in such a casual manner.

"I don't think a business student will come sneaking into a class room because they thought an experiment was 'pretty'." Cinder answered simply as she finished clipping the bandage into place and started to put away the medical supplies. "But perhaps even they will know better than to observe without caution and to keep necessary safety measures in mind."

With her cheeks now a glowing red blush Ruby followed in suit, shuffling after Cinder as she handed her the equipment to be put away. With the woman only using the one hand. Her right one to take it from Ruby. The girl wondered if those burns still hurt, but she didn't feel like it was her place to ask.

After cleaning up the infirmary the two of them headed back to the science lab and as usual the silence between them because too uncomfortable for Ruby to bear.

"Do you uhm…know what went wrong with it? Unless it was supposed to explode like that."

"The Dust was contaminated, traces of other chemicals must have been in contact with it during the previous practical session."

Cinder knew precisely whose fault that was and she was determined to make them _very_ sorry for their negligence. They'll remember not to cross her ever again.

"I suppose this is where you take your leave then?" Cinder stated coolly as she opened the door, instantly hit with the scent of smoke wafting in the air.

Ruby shook her head in protest. "Oh no I couldn't leave you with all that glass and stuff."

"You had nothing to do with that accident, you merely got caught in the crossfire."

"And you took care of me after I got cut." Ruby fired back, surprising even herself when she heard her voice grow a pitch louder.

Cinder's eye widened slightly upon hearing how adamant she sounded, the woman didn't think the girl could be absolute about anything.

"The least I could do is help you clean it up."

Cinder then watched as the girl tried in vain to intimidate her by crossing her arms, and trying her best to prove that it didn't hurt at all, as well as straightening her posture. For a moment Cinder found herself thinking of that little Schnee that she'd grown to have such a distaste for. A thought that would usually irritate her, but instead Cinder found herself to be slightly amused.

Perhaps she had misjudged her a bit. The woman didn't know if she should be relieved at the fact or not, but for now she let it slide.

"I'd appreciate it."

There were more pressing matters to attend to after all.

"Ruby Rose!"

But just as Cinder was about to let the girl in, a horrific screech rang thorough the halls, stopping them both in their tracks.

At the end of the hall a fuming Weiss Schnee was storming towards them. The sight was almost enough for Ruby to hide behind Cinder for cover. And before she knew it, the young woman was standing right before her and there was no escape. All Ruby could do was prepare herself for the scolding that was sure to come.

"You are in so much trouble young lady! I explicitly remember telling you not to go wandering off."

Ruby smiled apologetically at her friend but Weiss gave her no time to explain.

"Do you have any idea how far behind schedule you put me? I should have you-" But once Weiss caught a glance of the woman staring daggers down at her, her attention was quickly diverted.

As she turned towards Cinder, Weiss instantly regained her composure.

"…Cinder." She greeted with bitter distaste that the young woman didn't even bother hiding.

"Schnee." Cinder's raspy voice was now more of a growl than anything else, easily holding Weiss' icy glare.

The heiress looked between the two, quickly hiding her annoyed expression as she opened her mouth to speak. "Now what if I might ask-"

"No you may not." The woman cut her off, successfully baffling the young heiress.

"E-excuse me?"

"What I do with my time is hardly any of your business now is it?" Cinder's tone was as cold as ice and Ruby watched the scene unfold with disbelieving silver eyes.

"You two know each other?" She ventured, hoping to relieve the tension between the two, thick enough to be cut with a knife.

"Unfortunately." Weiss deadpanned as she put a hand on her hip, almost daring the other to return fire. The last thing Ruby wanted was for a fight to break out because for some reason Ruby just knew that Weiss didn't really know what she was getting herself into.

"She doesn't mean it!" The girl waved her off, Cinder didn't look convinced.

"Weiss is just a little-"

Stubborn, bossy, sassy, judgy. Ruby couldn't really pick one.

"Conceited." Cinder added, enjoying the heiress' red faced expression far too much.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here. And how dare you!" The young woman scolded, having had enough of this ridiculous banter. When she shot Ruby a warning glare Weiss grabbed hold of her wrist and started leading her away.

"Ow Weiss. Owowowowow." The girl quickly wormed her way out of her friend's grasp and it was only then when the heiress noticed the bandages.

"What-" Her wide eyed concern was quick to turn to slits as she accusingly pointed at Cinder. "If you have something to with this-"

"Nononono Weiss it wasn't Cinder's fault." Ruby came to her rescue and when she turned back to Weiss she could see that the young woman wanted an explanation that instant.

"Well I uh…" As Ruby's gaze wandered about the area a sudden laugh escaped her lips, it was strange how the incident seemed funny now when an hour ago she wanted to die of embarrassment."I maaaay have gotten cut by some exploding glass but Cinder fixed me up at the infirmary sopleasedon'tbemadokay?"

Ruby lifted her hands with an assuring smile for Weiss to see the other's handiwork, then mentioning to Cinder. "See she's…nice."

Cinder couldn't help but to scoff at the comment ,she had been called many things in her life and 'nice' wasn't one of them. At least it seemed to calm the Schnee down enough for her to turn heel with nothing more than a _'Let's go Ruby.'_

The girl was hesitant to leave however. "Ah Weiss wait… I still have to help Cinder clean up."

She then watched Ruby turn halfway back to her while continuing to stumble onwards.

"I'll be back later okay!" She shouted down the hallway, reaching out to her like it was some kind of promise. "I'll come back if you need some help."

With that said the view of Cinder disappeared once they rounded a corner, leaving the woman standing alone in the hallway and uncertain as to how she should feel.

The girl had piqued her interest that's for sure, but whether it was a good or bad thing was up for debate, Cinder supposed that she'll just have to wait and see...

…

For the rest of the day, Ruby along with a group of visitors followed Weiss and Blake through the campus. From lectures about the University's history to the number of courses that are available as well as with fun activities, they were kept busy until four.

Ruby could honestly say that the day went on better than she thought it would. …Okay she could've gone without the history lessons, but still!

When the Open Day came to a close the masses of aspiring students trickled away until only a few groups stood scattered about. Weiss was still busy answering questions and Ruby saw it as her chance to slip away. Even though the girl very much doubted that Cinder would still be there, she knew that she had to go and check anyway. Ruby did promise her after all. When running at full speed ,and nearly into a glass door, it took a while for her to find the same laboratory again without getting lost.

In a blur of red and black Ruby rounded the last corner just as Cinder came walking down the corridor. Ruby slammed her heels into the tile and skidded to a stop before she could crash into the woman, who watched with incredulity.

"Haven't you been taught not to run in the halls?" Cinder's tone was cool as she spoke and when Ruby looked up she stared straight into molten amber, her face a few inches from hers.

"S-sorry." She stuttered as she shuffled backward, her fingers subconsciously playing with the bandages on her arm. "I thought I could catch up to you before you finished cleaning up."

Cinder's eye widened in slight surprise, pursing her lips in thought. So this girl was serious after all. Even after what must've been a very busy day, Ruby still came back to offer her help. Foolish.

"Guess I'm not as fast as I thought." She confessed with a sheepish grin, swaying on the balls of her feet and timidly meeting Cinder's eye again. The woman couldn't help but notice how those silver orbs smiled back at her.

Foolish? No.

Naive maybe… but not foolish. Perhaps sincere was a better word. Cinder searched her mind for it, as if she would when skimming through a dictionary. It was a word she hasn't used in ages and just like the strangeness of this girl, Cinder couldn't quite put her finger in it.

"You just missed me I'm afraid."

Ruby's expression visibly fell and she couldn't help but feel bad at the promise she wasn't able to keep, even if Cinder didn't think of it as a big deal.

Why was this girl so adamant about helping her in some way, the woman wondered. Her eye slowly moved from Ruby's concrete scraped sneakers and up to her shining silver eyes. Cinder wasn't necessarily annoyed but the concept was just so foreign, perhaps that's the reason why she was so intrigued by this girl.

"I suppose some company wouldn't hurt." She finally gave in with a sigh as she smiled to herself before adjusting the book bag strap on her shoulder.

"Walk with me?"

With that said the woman gestured with manicured nails, Ruby happy to oblige. Once they were out of the building and walking along the edge of the field, Cinder pulled out a packet of cigarettes from her book bag. Followed by a lighter from her pocket.

"So you're a third year?" Ruby ventured and for a split second Cinder's face lit up with a spark before the veil of smoke covered it, then slowly reached for the sky.

"First." Cinder corrected and her eye lazily drifted to the girl, mouth curling the cigarette between a faint smile.

Ruby's nose wrinkled at the smell but she couldn't decide whether she liked it or not. She probably shouldn't. Smoking was bad, that she knew. But like all things, once a teenager was told not do something they automatically wanted to the opposite. But curiosity was all it was, Ruby knew that if she ever tried it her sister would kill her.

"I take it you're in Matric?" Cinder deducted, but when she saw Ruby perk up at the sound of an ice cream truck nearby, the woman knew that she had to be a few years off.

Or it was just a part of her personality.

"Ah almost." Ruby grinned sheepishly, rising a hand to shield her eyes from the sun peeking through the row of trees. "I'm in grade eleven this year." Usually people would guess her to be about fifteen but then again she was attending a University Open Day.

"What do you plan on studying?" Cinder asked as she flicked the ashes from the cigarette butt, rising her brow inquiringly at Ruby who just shrugged in reply.

"I want to go into engineering but I'm not all that smart." She explained and sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "So I don't really know."

"You needn't be smart miss Rose." Cinder stated and the two of them came to a halt at a fountain close to one of the entrances. "All you need is to put in some work and the rest will work for you."

And strangely when Ruby stood next to her, she didn't feel as nervous anymore. For a few moments they stood staring at the statue of Professor Ozpin in the middle of the fountain. When Ruby looked at Cinder her eyes widened at the sight of the fading sunlight framing her silhouette with golden light. The reflection seemed to set her eye on fire, smouldering in thought.

"So perhaps I'll see you here in a few more years miss Rose."

Whatever might have gone through her mind, was not betrayed by her gaze that was always guarded…until she looked back at her.

"But this is where I take my leave." Cinder finally said with a hint of disappointment and as she turned to Ruby she offered her a hand, that the girl took with a bit of downcast. "Yeah I guess it's getting pretty late."

The girl was surprised to see the small smile that Cinder offered her and she instantly brightened up, returning the gesture tenfold with a beaming grin.

"It was really nice to meet you Cinder." And before the woman could protest Ruby wrapped her in a quick hug, catching her completely off guard but she was quick to regain her composure. For a moment her calloused tone was soft when she stepped back.

"Likewise miss Rose."

Just before she turned to walk down the street, the woman glanced over her shoulder and met Ruby's eye with a knowing smile.

"I hope you'll stay out of trouble in the future."

The girl couldn't help but giggle and gave her a small wave, watching Cinder disappear into the sunset with both contentment and a strange melancholy in her silver eyes…

…..

It was nearing midnight but the Rose and Xiao Long household was still shaking with music, singing and cheers. But then again this was a Yang Xiao Long party so Ruby should've known that it would keep her up till late.

The girl wasn't really sure why her sister decided to throw this party, but it wasn't like her she needed a reason to have fun. That was just the way she was, but when her father told them that he would be away for the weekend Ruby should've known Yang would pull some sort of stunt. Not that Ruby minded that much, crazy parties were what made Yang…Yang and she loved her sister. But at that moment Ruby would've loved her more if she didn't stash the cookie supply in the top cabinet.

"Come…ooon just a little closer." When she stood on her toes her fingers only managed to brush against the box. And with one final attempt she jumped up, knocking her hand against the box for it to sway back and forth before tumbling over into the girl's hands. "Gotcha!"

"Aren't you a bit young to be attending a college party?"

The girl nearly jumped up in fright at the sudden sound of a voice behind her, hoarse and nearly breathless. Recognition struck her instantly. With a quickening heartbeat the girl turned around to see a familiar face, one half obscured by short ebony hair and the other side with a golden eye staring back.

Cinder.

But instead of casual jeans, t-shirt and sneakers the woman wore something entirely different. It made Ruby wonder if she just didn't inhale some alcohol fumes and was now seeing things.

The girl could hardly look at anything else besides that red dress with intricate gold patterns twisting down the long sleeves, as well the low cut exposing her long and slender- _'No Ruby. Bad! You're being gross.'_ The girl mentally slapped herself, trying to get a grip by shaking her head to get the images out of her mind.

"No good?" The woman asked with a faint smile on her lips when she noticed the girl staring, mocking half-hearted disappointment as she did so. She then grabbed a few glasses and a bottle of red wine from the counter before making her way to the living room.

"Oh no- I mean yes!" The girl insisted as she followed, her cheeks growing a darker shade of red and the tone of her voice a pitch higher.

"I just didn't recognise you for a bit." Ruby scratched the back of her head with a sheepish smile before sitting down on the opposite edge of the couch. Cinder said nothing and took a long sip of her wine, eye never leaving the girl and Ruby couldn't help but fidget next to her.

Suddenly Ruby didn't know whether she was intruding or not and the silence between them, well as much silence that is possible at a party involving Yang, didn't make things easier.

"I didn't know you knew my sister." Ruby leaned toward the coffee table to grab a handful of chips, then happily crunching away at them.

"I don't." She stated and slowly stared to swirl around the red liquid in her glass before draining the last of it. "But Belladonna insisted that I attend."

Out of all the people that Cinder got to know over the past year, Blake was one of the few who didn't instantly discard her after learning as to how she got into the University.

"Oh yeah." Ruby brightened up at the mention of one of her friends. "Blake mentioned you before."

Cinder smiled to herself. "Good things I hope."

The woman would never say it but for that she was grateful. She could talk to someone without wondering what Blake would say about her behind her back, not that Cinder cared for other's opinions. It also helped that they shared a similar interest in reading material, one that was fairly hard to come by these days.

When the woman's mind drifted back to reality her gaze landed on Ruby's arm, the one that had gotten cut a few weeks ago.

"I take it you've been staying out of trouble?" She asked, putting down her glass before reaching out to take Ruby's hand. Cinder's touch was both silky smooth and calloused at the same time with one hand holding hers and the other absentmindedly tracing over where the cuts used to be.

"Perfect." The woman observed but even as her hands left Ruby's the trace of her touch lingered, still ghosting over the girl's palms.

"Hehe yeah you fixed me up real good."

When Cinder's attention shifted so did Ruby's gaze wander to the puddles of water leading from the kitchen to the sliding door. She could faintly hear the splashing of water and Sun yelling _'cannonball!'_ before diving into their pool outside... followed by Neptune's panicked screaming.

"Sauvignon?" Cinder offered, eyebrow raised inquiringly as she held out another glass of red wine, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts.

"Ah no thanks. I don't drink." She wasn't eighteen yet and that much should've been very clear but it didn't seem like Cinder minded at all.

"Pity. It's all the way from Mistral and the first of the season."

So Ruby took the glass anyway and watched with curious silver eyes as how to hold it, fingers fumbling at first.

Ruby had seen Yang and her friends drink a bunch of times before, but this was something different. The girl didn't think that downing a shot was the same as drinking Cabernet Sauvignon.

Swirling the glass for the wine to lap up against it Cinder inhaled the piquant flavour before taking a sip, closing her eye to savour the rich black cherries mingling with herbs and oak. After carefully paying attention, Ruby tentatively followed in suit, but when the bitter taste touched her tongue she nearly gagged.

"Ackh!"

Cinder watched amused as Ruby desperately tried not to twist her face into unimaginable expressions. Then as casually as the girl could muster, she reached for a box of cookies to drown out the bitter taste in her mouth.

"But I suppose I should've picked a different one."

If it wasn't for the laughter in Cinder's raspy voice Ruby would have just dug her merlot cheeks into a couch pillow.

"I guess I wasn't ready for it." Ruby couched and couldn't help but to feel rather childish at that moment. "I never had wine before." But then again this woman seemed to be mature far beyond her years.

"I forgot that most tastes aren't piquant and bitter as mine."

Suddenly Ruby wished that she liked the more adult things in life, but the girl also thought that the opposite was true for Cinder. Despite their mutual dislike Ruby could see a lot of similarity between Weiss and Cinder.

"Maybe you just need to learn to like sweet stuff too." The girl offered light heartedly before attempting to take another drink, nearly spitting it out again when Cinder leaned her face a few inches from hers, rising an eyebrow and smiling curiously.

"Like?"

It must have been the alcohol, because for some reason Ruby couldn't remember the name of a single cookie that she had eaten in her lifetime.

"I uh-"

"Hey Ruby do you know whe-" The two men walking in stopped dead in their tracks once they saw the scene before them. Ruby's head snapped to the side and instantly she could feel her cheeks heat up for what felt like the tenth time that night. Standing with their towel-wrapped-but-still-soaked bodies Ren and Jaune looked from Ruby to Cinder…and from Cinder to Ruby.

"Are we interrupting?" Ren asked, ready for them to leave if need be.

"Oh n-no we were just talking and stuff." Ruby insisted as she shot back to the opposite end of the couch. "Did...did you guys need anything?" The girl was seemingly oblivious to Jaune's discomfort after noticing Cinder.

Although they were only a few years apart 'a boy' was all Cinder would ever see him as and she smiled to herself when she could see him grow uncomfortable under her unwavering gaze.

"Nora is looking for those water guns… do you still have them around?" He wondered out loud, looking everywhere that wasn't at Cinder.

The two of them had met before, but the circumstances were not pleasant and although Jaune knew that Cinder had no official power over him, she was not one to be trifled with.

"Oh yeah sure I'll go get 'em for you guys." The girl agreed happily and jumped up to her feet, leading the way.

"I'll be back okay!" Ruby called out to Cinder with a small wave of her hand before disappearing behind a corner. And when she watched the girl leave Cinder couldn't help but feel as if the atmosphere had grown dull and the Sauvignon a tad more bitter...

When Ruby came back with a slight skip in her step, Cinder was sitting there, eye glancing at passerby's with half lidded disinterest.

"Not much of a party person hu?" She girl mentioned as she sidled up next to her.

"I'll admit it's not my type, no." The woman confessed with a wry smile. Cinder had been to many high school and college parties, but the appeal had worn off long ago. Now drinking until you passed out just seemed so mindless to her, she wanted something to be worth her time.

"Yeah I'm not that into it either." The girl shrugged as she watched the mass of drunken bodies sway to the beat of window-shaking music. "I just like having a few friends over you know?"

Cinder answered with a silent nod, grateful that she wasn't the only one feeling rather out of place. And as she reached for one of the cookies on the table, Ruby was moulding over what she wanted to say, figeting with her eyes darting from and to her. The girl bunched up the soft fabric of her t-shirt in her hands before exhaling, releasing her words as she turned to her.

"…W-would you maybe like to come to my room instead?"

Cinder couldn't help but to crack a grin and her hoarse voice seemed to laugh before biting down on the chocolate chip treat. "I'd never think you'd be so bold miss Rose."

When Ruby realised what the context of her words implied, the girl thought she would explode right then and there. "Wha- oh nonononono." She waved her hands around frantically as if to get rid of the sudden hot air around them. "I just meant like to talk and stuff not…not bad stuff- not that there's anything wrong with that stuff I uh-"

As her words stared to fail her Ruby dug her face into a couch pillow like an ostrich into the ground, hoping that it would shield her from further embarrassment.

"I'm just teasing little Rose." The woman reassured, delight clear in her tone when she reached out to comb through her hair, fingers playfully toying with the crimson tipped locks. "No need to be embarrassed."

If the gesture was meant to calm her down it sure wasn't working because Ruby was sure that the shades of red on her face just darkened tenfold.

The girl wasn't even sure how exactly it happened. One moment she and Cinder were drinking wine on the couch and the next they were sitting on the carpet of Ruby's room. Both were locked in an intense battle of Kung Fu Ninja Slayers Ultimate Death Battle 2.

This was where Ruby was supposed to be in her element and show the other how its done, and maybe try to impress her a bit with her awesome gaming skills. Unbeknownst to Ruby, Cinder's hand eye coordination was better than she let on. What was supposed an easy win turned into something much more difficult.

"Eat this!" The girl exclaimed as she slammed her thumbs down on the controls, ready to chop the head off Cinder's character. But the woman blocked and countered her combo with ease, slashing away another chunk of her opponent's health bar.

"You're predictable miss. Rose." The woman warned, and turned to Ruby with a pleased glint in her eye once the screen flashed _'GAME OVER.'_

The girl let out a groan and rolled around on the floor as an attempt to release her frustration. "No fair. I demand a rematch!" The girl pointed accusingly at Cinder who merely smiled in return.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

And so for most of the night they spent bashing away at controllers until Ruby was satisfied that she had won enough times to at least be on par.

"How can you be good at science and video games at the same time?" She asked while stuffing her mouth with more treats. They had successfully brought half of the kitchen into Ruby's room, but the girl doubted that Yang would notice. Even if she did, the chances of her making it up the stairs were very slim.

"I could ask you the same thing." Cinder replied as she made herself to the window, needing a quick nicotine fix. It was only when she opened the window that the woman discovered a makeshift balcony on the roof.

"I hope this is safe." She remarked, leaning out the window and feeling a cool breeze waft in the air.

"Oh yeah." The girl was quick to jump up to her feet, nearly tripping over her makeshift blanket cape as she did so. Suddenly there was a sense of pride in her voice. "My mom built it for me a long while ago." And as she clambered through the window a soft giggle escaped her lips. "My dad isn't allowed to fix stuff in the house anymore."

After making sure that she was still steady on her feet Cinder tentatively followed, now standing under a roof that must've been built after as well as a wooden fence running along the edge where Ruby was standing. Deep in thought the girl stared ahead, the silver of her eyes seemed to reflect the stars in the night sky and Cinder caught herself staring when she came to stand beside her.

"So...have you always lived in Vale?"

"I moved here from Mistral actually." The woman confessed and reached for her pack of cigarettes. There was only two left.

"I've visited Mistral with my uncle Qrow once." The girl mentioned and smiled happily at the memory. "It was so much fun and so many stuff to do…lots of fun stuff."

Cinder couldn't help but to crack a smile at the girl's subconscious slurring, dry red wasn't her cup of tea but late harvest sweet wine sure proved to be.

"It's certainly busier than Vale." She agreed and lit herself a cigarette, hoping to numb the headache that was surely coming along.

"Why didn't you…study at Haven?"

Deep intake followed by a slow release and with half lidded eyes the woman savoured the burn at the back of her throat and watched the high turn into smoke.

"I needed a change of scenery I suppose."

"Well I'm glad that you came to Vale." Ruby murmured and she gently leaned against Cinder who smiled softly in return. When the breeze started to shake them with shivers, the two women sat together on one of the bean bag chairs on the balcony. Ruby's blanket cape was draped halfway over them. They didn't want to go inside just yet. Outside the harsh drumming of music faded into a gentle _thump_ and the fingers combing through Ruby's hair should've been enough to send the girl off to sleep.

"I think I wanna remember this." The girl mumbled as she watched the small ember light up and fade out with each breath the other took. "…Remember you."

When the other stopped her absent minded untangling of her hair, Ruby looked up at Cinder and finding her seemingly conflicted for a moment before her gaze softened and her touch drifted down to cup the girl's cheek.

"And I you miss Rose." She whispered and the girl erupted in a fit of giggles. The girl didn't quite know in what state of mind she was at that moment. The line between sober and intoxicated had become foggy just like her thoughts.

"R-Ruby. Just call me Ruby."

But the feelings she had were pleasant, a warm kind of fuzzy, just like Cinder who slowly leaned closer to whisper into her ear.

"Ruby."

The girl couldn't stop the giggles bursting from her mouth when she felt the tickling of Cinder's breath on her ear. The woman grinned slyly as she moved towards her neck.

 _"Ruby."_

"Hahahaha You…you say it weird." She continued to laugh and squirm, but doing that without falling off proved to be very difficult. Somehow Ruby had gotten herself into a position that the girl couldn't escape. With Cinder casually leaning over her.

"Care to elaborate Ruby Rose?" There was a tone of authority to her husky voice, but her eye smouldering with amusement gave everything away.

At the back of her mind Cinder knew that she was drunk, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She hadn't felt like this in years, like a silly teenager, not because those years had passed but rather because she was never allowed to be. But with this girl…with Ruby she could be someone else.

"Nope." The girl teased and stuck out her tongue in a rather childish manner, and with that Cinder settled back down next to her. A moment of silence fell between them where Ruby contently listened to the slow rise and fall of the other's breathing.

"Doesn't it hurt?" She delicately started to trace the golden patterns of the woman's dress. "…Or burn I guess." Ruby went on, gaze shifting to Cinder.

"A little." There was a lazy smile on her lips, and the mirth in her amber eye, half closed. "But it's pleasant."

"It's a good kinda burn?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, foggy mind not quite wrapping around the concept and Cinder couldn't help but to smile.

"What a curious one you are..." She murmured and leaned forward, faces inches apart as she turned the cigarette towards Ruby's lips, offering a taste to satisfy her curiosity.

With the alcohol swimming in her head the girl gingerly closed her mouth around the cigarette. Surprisingly she found it to be warm and laced with the lingering taste of cherries…Cinder's lip gloss she guessed. Her silver eyes looked to the woman for direction.

"Breathe in slowly." She instructed, gaze never leaving the girl as Ruby's eyes fluttered to a close, brow forming a soft crease with small plumes of smoke leaking from her lips. Those soft, delicate lips that she just wanted to capture as her own.

"You need to exhale little Rose." The woman smiled and clumsily shoved her intoxicated thoughts to the back of her hazy mind.

And when Ruby blew the smoke into the night it was between splutters and coughs, it's warm touch grazing against Cinder's skin.

"Yeeaahp…" The girl drawled, head lolling to the side to find a resting place in the crook of Cinder's neck, inhaling the sharp scent of her perfume before cracking a grin. "Good burn."

It was like watching a child discover something new for the first time, fumbling as how to hold it once Cinder let go to reach for another one. Without a second thought Ruby took another drag and nearly swallowed the cigarette whole when Cinder leaned forward to light hers with the small smouldering ember.

"Breathe."

Half lit and only inches apart Ruby could clearly map out the curve of her cheekbones and the fine lines between smooth and scarred skin. She knew that she was staring but then again so was Cinder.

For some reason neither of them really minded…

The rest of the night and early morning hours went by in a hazy blur of washed out colour and white noise as they talked about anything and everything. Glimpses of their life were shared in between bits of faded memory, until both were on the verge of passing out or crashing down from their high.

"…Cinder?" Ruby mumbled, using all of her remaining energy to keep her eyes from falling to a close. She knew that if it did, it wouldn't open until noon. "Mmm- I drunk?"

"…I'm afraid so." Her voice was hoarse with fatigue but even so Ruby could hear the ghost of a smile

"Does 'hat mean I'll have a… crazy bad headache when wake up an'… I'll be addicted to smokin' n' stuff?"

"Don't worry little Rose...you will be quite alright." She comforted, her whisper nearly lost before it reached her. "But yes, you might have a hangover."

The girl let out a yawn before turning to snuggle deeper into the warmth next to her. "Don' tell Yang 'kay?" And after finally giving in Ruby's eyes fell to a close, diving deep into her sub consciousness, warm and welcoming to sleep.

"Your secret's safe with me."


	2. Cookies and Cabernet

**A/N: I do not own RWBY.**

 **...**

Ruby could not, for the love of Vale get her homework done. She had been sitting for at least an hour…on a _Friday_ , trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. But the new chemistry module that they were covering this term proved to be even more mindboggling than she thought.

So with a heavy sigh the girl plopped her pen down on her desk and spinned around in her seat, hoping that some kind of knowledge would come loose. But all she succeeded in was to cool herself down a little. It was unusually hot that day, even if it was the beginning of spring.

With her options now running out Ruby picked up her scroll, hoping that her distress call had been answered.

 _'Eeeyyy Weiss! Brain won't work lol. HEEELLP MEEEEEE!'_

Last seen: 06:37

Yeah…Weiss wasn't picking up her scroll today, that much was very clear. To be fair there was that fencing tournament coming up and her sister was in town. Ruby couldn't blame her friend for her absence. But the problem still remained, she had homework to do. Then again she could just fill in some gibberish and tell the teacher that she tried. But that idea quickly went out the window as it meant that she would probably be signed up for extra classes.

With her backup plan now depending on whoever was available, she scrolled down her contact list.

Blake

Blake majored in Political Science, but the 'Science' part in the name was really all that their subjects had in common.

Cinder

Ruby paused for a moment, thumb hovering over the contact. Cinder should've been the obvious choice, but the girl didn't want to unnecessarily bother her either. Maybe she should just ask some kids in her own grade, they most likely remember the work in the first place but she wasn't convinced. In a silent debate Ruby titled her head from side to side, biting her lip as she typed the message.

 _'Hey:) Uhm could you maybe help me with this? Homework is super hard lol.'_

Then quickly adding.

 _'Only if you have time.'  
_  
If she wasn't nervous before, she certainly was now, wildly spinning around in her chair as she waited for a reply. Nearly jumping up in surprise when she received a reply.

'Hello to you too. Of course.'

Then like it was some kind of model Ruby took a picture of her paper and sent it with a few taps against the screen.

 _'I'll take a look;)'  
_  
All it took was that single sentence to bring a smile to her lips, giving her homework one more look before her attention shifted with the chime of her scroll.

Quickly her eyes flew across the screen.

 _'Your substitution is incorrect. It is not stated that the experiment takes place in STP conditions, therefore you cannot assume that the pressure is 101.3 kPa.'_

'Oooooh.'

She typed back with a figurative droplet of sweat running down her forehead, feeling like a complete idiot at the fact that she didn't even read it properly.

 _'You might want to try reading the question. It does tend to help;)'  
_  
 _'I have noooo idea what I'm doing.'_ Unexpectedly a laugh escaped her lips, the next message catching her completely off guard.

 _'Do you need some help? I wouldn't mind some company.'  
_  
Was Cinder inviting her over? At the thought Ruby shook her head, she was just offering to help. But even so Ruby couldn't stop her cheeks from lighting up with a blush.

 _'I don't want to bother you tho.'_

'It's no trouble at all:)'

The girl tapped her scroll against her chin, seemingly in though before looking down at the address Cinder sent, not too far from here and on the way to Signal actually. It would be nice to see her again, even it was just while doing homework, after all the last time that they saw each other was at Yang's party about two weeks ago.

A soft smile crept onto her lips when she remembered that following morning. Ruby woke up with a searing headache and black ink lines and swirls all over her arm. A phone number.

 _'Uhm h-hello?'_

'I'm glad to hear you survived the night little Rose.'

It was Cinder's.

The moment was embarrassing to say the least with her still slurring, stuttering and recovering from the previous night. But now…looking back the memory was a happy one. So after she typed her reply, Ruby got up and headed to the garage.

 _'I'll be right over:)'_

Finding the right apartment in the complex was harder than the girl thought, this was without the fact that she had to turn around after realizing that she had forgotten her books.

Now standing in front of the door, with her bike lying on the small strip of grass that must've been the lawn, Ruby felt a bit nervous…okay a lot nervous. When she rang the doorbell, the girl found her hands to be sweatier than usual. She hoped that Cinder wouldn't notice. The door opened and a shock of electricity shot down her spine, before she even realised it Cinder stood in the doorway, dressed in a dark red button up, black jeans and heels. Casual but always beautiful.

The girl instantly blushed at the thought.

"Looks like you didn't waste any time in getting here." Cinder mentioned with amusement clear in her tone once she saw Ruby's windswept hair.

The girl only then noticed and patted it down with a embarrassed chuckle. "Yeah finals and all that stuff's coming up so..."

"Look's like I have my work cut out for me." Cinder stepped aside. "Please, come in."

Ruby wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting when she entered the apartment. Immaculate with a few vases of flowers and paintings here and there, but other than that it was fairly simple.

"Did you get sick from the party?" The girl asked as her eyes swept across the living room and kitchen, confusing Cinder as to why she would ask that. Until she spotted the small plastic bag of medicine that's she had forgotten to put away.

"Ah…spring allergies I'm afraid." The woman explained with a tight lipped smile as she glanced back at Ruby, leading her into the study. This room a bit busier with the sheer amount of books and paper stacked all over. But it was the half opened archery kit on another table that completely caught Ruby's intention.

"Whoooaaa." Her fingers were itching to pick it up and give it a try.

"It seems like we need to work on concentration instead." Cinder teased from behind and watched with mirth as the girl's shoulders tense and her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"Ah sorry I just…really like weapons and stuff." Her gaze never quite met the other's as she scratched the back of her head.

"Its no problem." Cinder assured and patted the seat next to her before mentioning for the girl to hand over her books.

"Now let's tackle this chemistry problem shall we?"

Ruby wasn't quite sure when it had become a habit but over the past few months the girl had found herself either going over to Cinder's or texting her when she was struggling with something. Needless to say there had been a definite improvement in her marks and although Ruby still went to Weiss for help, the girl went to Cinder more often.

Ruby wasn't quite sure why that was.

She didn't think that either was busier or more capable than the other, but perhaps it was because Ruby had found Cinder to be more patient. Even when her attention faltered or she couldn't quite wrap her head around a subject, the woman never raised her voice. Whereas Weiss would have given her a stern talking to. But that didn't mean that she wasn't without discipline, Cinder was easily just as strict if not stricter when it came to assigned homework or exercises.

So it was only fair that she thanked her for all her trouble.

 _'I was thinking that we…go somewhere sometime- if you want to.'_

'I'd like that.'

'Great! We're do you wanna go?'

'…Surprise me.'

…

When Ruby woke up one Saturday, the day that Yang called 'a date', even after she told her sister countless times that it wasn't like that, the girl was a walking wreck of nerves and excitement. Even Yang couldn't decide whether to be worried of double over with laughter when she found out that Ruby had gotten up at six to take a shower. When they were only supposed to meet up at one.

"Slow down Rubes, the cereal isn't going anywhere." The woman joked and nudged her side with an elbow.

"I'm not getting one of dad's gross speeches again." With her crimson cheeks nearly buried into the bowl, she continued to wolf down her breakfast before her father returned from Signal Primary's National soccer tournament. It was times like these where she was really glad that he was chosen as coach... even if she did feel sorry for the kids. Despite what Tai Yang thought he didn't quite fit into the category of being a 'cool dad', but then again when were dad's ever cool?

"I'm sure Cinnabun will show you nicely." She jested with a wink and sly grin, nearly making Ruby spit out her breakfast.

Just when she wanted to scold her about how 'gross' she was being, Ruby's scroll buzzed on the counter.

"Speak of the she- devil." Yang mumbled between a mouthful of cereal, leaning over her sister's shoulder to catch a glance of their conversation before Ruby turned away.

Her eyes flew over the message and again...and again.

 _'I apologise for the inconvenience but I will not be able to attend our outing. Can we reschedule?'  
_  
"What's up?" Yang's tone seemed casual but she could see when there was something bothering her sister. Not that Ruby was the hardest person to read, but even so Yang was quick to pick up the slightest change in her demeanour. Something that came with being so close as sisters.

Ruby paused for a moment before typing.

 _'Yeah no prob.'  
_  
She let out a sigh and slumped back in her chair, suddenly the air she was walking on turned into a pit of disappointment.

 _'Are you okay?'_

"Cinder can't come today." The girl mumbled her head lolling to the side as if she had lost all the energy that she had for the day. Yang saw the perfect opportunity for a pun but the woman decided that it was better to pass on this one.

"Ah bummer why not?"

Ruby just shrugged, her eyes warily glancing down at the screen in her hands.  
 _  
'Cinder is typing…'_

Even in her downcast state Ruby remained optimistic, hoping for another date where everything would work out just fine.

 _'Cinder is typing…'_

 _'This message was recalled'_

"Yang something's wrong." Ruby's voice was suddenly laced with panic. But even after reading the message with a frown, Yang still managed to crack a light hearted smile.

"Looks like she's even more nervous than you are Rubes."

"That's not funny Yang!" Ruby yelled in defence and before she could storm off Yang wrapped her arm around her sister in reassurance.

"Calm down Rubes, you of all people know how many times Weiss changes plans and stuff, maybe Cinder's just a bit swamped right now."

The girl couldn't help but nod in agreement, pouting as she did so and as much as she felt upset Ruby knew that it was a fair reason. She had been keeping Cinder very busy this past month and most likely out of her own work. Her mind flashed to the last time they met up for the woman to go over the details of her report…her one hundred and fifty five page report. The girl could see that Cinder wasn't her usual self and that should've been the first warning. Instead Ruby did nothing about it and the thought made her heart sink with guilt.

"I have to go see if she's okay." The girl proclaimed, halfway down the hall before Yang caught up to her, grabbing hold of her hand.

"Hey whoa!"

"Please just let me go and check." She pleaded and for a moment Yang hesitated before letting go with a sigh.

"…Fine, but text me when there's trouble okay?"

Ruby nodded quickly in return before storming off to the garage, hopping onto her bike and riding down the street in a flash.

The passing cars were nothing but a blur of colour as the wind rushed past her ears, almost deafening her to the sound of the bustling city. To Ruby she couldn't get there fast enough and for some reason the girl expected the door to be broken down or to see a fire consuming the building. Instead the complex was standing with nothing out of place…not even a blade of grass. Still Ruby stayed for a few moments, making sure that she was nothing but paranoid.

She was tempted to go inside and apologise or ask if there was anything that she could do to help out, then again Ruby would probably only be unnecessary trouble. But when the girl climbed atop her bike, ready to head back home, a distant _crash_ could be heard coming from inside the apartment. There was only one thing that flashed through her mind at that moment.

 _'Cinder!'_

It wasn't even a second before Ruby was hammering with her first on the door, locked, calling her name. "Cinder!" But she wouldn't know if Cinder didn't or _couldn't_ answer her call.

Quickly her eyes scanned for a way in before landing on a window, although closed, didn't seem locked and the girl decided that the risk was worth it. It would be a tight squeeze but she would be able to fit through. So after looking around for someone and finding none, she clambered through the window. The girl clearly didn't think things through as to how she was going to land because it was hard on her shoulder and when she found herself in a small kitchen, Ruby realized that she didn't know how to get back through either.

For a moment she wondered if this was even the right building and her heart sank to her shoes when she recognised the book bag and clothes among the mess. Broken bottles, plates and furniture lied scattered about and if it wasn't for the locked door Ruby would've thought someone had broken in for sure.

 _'Did Cinder do all this?'_

When another sickening crash followed a part of her just didn't want to accept the answer.

Even if all of her friends were happy most of the time the girl knew that all of them struggled with insecurities and other obstacles in their life, they confided in her after all. When Ruby met Cinder she was confident, smart and proud of both herself and her work and it was most definitely the reason why Ruby didn't think that Cinder might have any struggles herself. And along with the thickening mixture of smoke in the air that made Ruby want to gag, it became painfully obvious that that was not the case. Cinder's apartment always had a distinct scent of perfume and cigarette smoke but it was light…a scent at the very back of your mind.

When Ruby entered the small living room her breath instantly got caught in her throat. Dressed in nothing but a black t-shirt and boy shorts Cinder paced, or rather stumbled around the room, muttering incoherent words to herself. Once Ruby stepped into her field of vision the woman froze, but whether it was in shock or fear she didn't know.

Her hair was un kept, standing in all directions and her make up seemed to be hastily washed off with the ashen colour still under her eyes. The makeup that she was going to put on for their day together ,she realised with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Ruby wondered if she had cried but she didn't want to think about that. The two of them simply stared at each other for what seemed to be hours, neither blinking as Ruby's eyes shone clear concern and fear but Cinder's betrayed no emotion at all.

"I got your text…" The girl finally managed to find her words, trying to answer the question that was undoubtedly in Cinder's mind. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

It was only when Ruby took a step forward that the woman snapped out of her trance.

"You…s-shouldn't…" She struggled to get a words out, giving up after a silent defeat and closed her eye in frustration.

"I was worried about you." Ruby confessed, her voice soft and gentle as she spoke, making her way towards the other but Cinder raised her hand, stopping the girl.

"L…eave." She choked, voice nearly failing her.

Ruby didn't move an inch.

"I'm not leaving you Cinder…not like this." She kept her gaze on the other's that was slowly starting to glisten with emotion before looking away, shielding it with ebony hair.

Not like this?

Pathetic.

That's how the woman felt as she stood before her and Cinder loathed every second of it, but even so she couldn't bring it upon herself to chase her away.

"Why didn't you tell me something was wrong? Were friends right?" The question caught Cinder completely off guard and when she stared at the girl, now standing in front of her, she couldn't stop the flicker of sadness in her eye.

"You w...ou-"

It wasn't uncommon for Cinder to lose her voice when they talked a lot and although the woman played it off as nothing but a minor nuisance. Ruby only then understood how frustrating it must be for her. When the fire of frustration and anger lit up in her eye, Ruby closed the distance between them and wrapped her in a tight hug before the woman could break anything else. To see her like this… Ruby couldn't decide whether she was upset or angry… but either way…it still hurt.

"Yeah you're right. I have no idea what you are going through, but the least I can do is try and understand. Not because I feel sorry about you or anything, but because every one deserves someone looking out for them."

Only when Ruby could feel Cinder relax in her arms did she let go, offering her a comforting smile.

"Come on." The girl took her hand and tried to usher her out of the room, careful to avoid the broken glass on the floor. "You're tired and it isn't good to stay up this long."

Defiantly, Cinder stood her ground and shook her head in silent protest. There was no point in it. She had been trying for almost two weeks to get some proper rest, but nothing had worked. Even though Ruby knew that is was important to get her to sleep she didn't want to force her either, not when she was already so on edge. Luckily she at least got Cinder to sit down and her rigid defiance faded away once exhaustion finally caught up to her. The woman soon found herself lying down on her unmade bed with Ruby wrapped in her arms.

As the girl lied there with her eyes closed and seemingly at peace she couldn't help but savour the heat that Cinder radiated. She was nice and warm and her arms that held her close made Ruby feel safe in a sense. Although they were not nearly as defined as Yang's, Ruby could tell that she was the best shooter of the archery team.

Cinder didn't seem all that interested in anything, well not that Ruby knew off and she wondered if archery was different. Was archery the one thing that she was passionate about? Does a good shot ever bring a smile to her face, one that was sincere and joyous? Or was it something else that brought her happiness?

Was there something that brought her happiness?

And it was then and there that Ruby decided that wanted she wanted to see her smile one day, to see and find out what made her trully happy. If Cinder didn't have anything like that she would help her find it. But for now Ruby was content with just being next to her and listening as Cinder fade into a dreamless sleep...

When the woman started to stir after about an hour, Ruby grew worried that she had woken her by accident. Once she could feel the rhythm of shallow breaths turn irregular the girl knew for sure that she was awake.

"...I was…sixteen when I left high school." Cinder's calloused words came out of nowhere and they sent a shiver down Ruby's spine as she listened.

"Through fear and manipulation my…mother had risen to the top of the criminal hierarchy and had full control over the black market." Ruby wanted to tell her to stop, that she didn't have to tell her this.

"She would always spew nonsense about how…how she was empowering the oppressed… I don't know if I ever believed her, but it didn't matter. I wanted the power she wielded." The girl could feel her heart turn into lead, slowly releasing a sense of dread and sadness within her when she heard the strain in Cinder's voice.

"For...years I supplied criminals and paying customers with illegal weapons, Dust and drugs until my name struck fear into the hearts of all who heard it…But when it reached the authorities they knew that I would be the link that could lead them to my mother. We were nearly impossible to track, but hiding became difficult when Winter Schnee was assigned to our case."

There was no stopping the silent gasp that escaped Ruby's lips and Cinder found herself pulled into a memory so vivid that she would've thought it to be real if it wasn't for the calming presence next to her.

 _'No where left to run Fall!'_

" …And when they had us…cornered in a warehouse stacked with crates full of reactive Dust crystals, she decided that she'd rather dig her own grave than be caught."

"Cinder..."

"…When that Schnee had me closing in on a dust reactor…I didn't know that… but when I…"

"It's okay." The girl turned around to face the other before wrapping her in a one armed hug. "You don't have to tell me the rest."

Cinder let out a heavy sigh and her shoulders visibly relaxed as if a heavy burden has been lifted off her. "It's been three years since that accident, but when I least expect it the memories find me again."

"I'm sorry...I didn't know." The girl mumbled and when Ruby found Cinder's eye again the woman had a bittersweet smile on her lips.

"Don't be...you had no way of knowing and I…didn't want you to… see me like that." She confessed and lazily started to brush the strands of hair out of Ruby's face.

"Is it…always that bad?" Ruby wondered. Was this episode better than the previous ones…or were they getting worse? Did it happen often? She couldn't stop the questions from flooding her mind and she suddenly remembered the allergy pills that Cinder left out that one day. Was it really for that..or something else? Did she have anxiety, stress, PTSD? But before Ruby could come to an answer ,the woman pulled her away from those thoughts with a warm hand cupping her cheek.

"You just caught me on a bad day I'm afraid. No need to worry."

Cinder was relieved when she saw Ruby's agonized expression grow soft. This girl was always burdening herself with her worry for others. The last thing she wanted was to see that lively glint in her eye, be stomped out by those burdens.

"But I do have to worry about you." She insisted, tone unwavering as she held Cinder's gaze. The woman couldn't help but wonder how it happened. How in over the course of a few months a chance meeting by had grown into…something.

"That's what you do when you care about someone..."

The girl somehow slipped in between the small cracks in the walls that she had built around herself, but could she trust Ruby to come closer? Trust her to be there when her mask started to crack and peel off, revealing the broken person she was underneath?

"…You worry about them when they are hurt." But when she looked into Ruby's eyes, shining so bright with sincerity Cinder knew that she could. She could trust Ruby.

"I don't want you to."

The woman just couldn't find it within to trust herself to let Ruby come that close.

The words formed a crease in her brow, not fully comprehending what those words meant but the girl pushed it aside for now. All that mattered was making Cinder feel better.

"Will you at least let me cheer you up?" The girl offered, voice hopeful as she put on her best puppy dog face. But all she got was an eyebrow raised in question.

"It'll be fun I promise." A small smile played at Cinder's lips, wondering what she had in store once Ruby look hold of her hand and gently ushered her out of the room.

"Come on...let's make you some pancakes..."

Their first few meetings and interactions after Cinder's incident were a bit awkward in the beginning, but that was to be expected since neither of the two women knew exactly where they stood with each other. Cinder had opened up to someone like she was done never before and in her mind that made them more than just acquaintances or even friends. So what were they?

Even with all the questions swirling around in her mind, the two of them continued to see each other and not just for tutoring either. In fact most of the times it were just to _'hang out and stuff'_ as Ruby had said.

Cinder had come to cherish these moments with Ruby…wherever they might be, it brought the woman moments of peace and happiness in her…complicated life. Since their first meeting Ruby had undoubtedly worn off on her and while debateable in terms of whether she should be concerned, the opposite was also true. She had noticed that Ruby started to speak and act more confidently around her, but of course it didn't take much teasing ,although playful, to turn her into a blushing, stuttering mess.

So with the girl's influence on her it should only be natural that Cinder would want to repay her for all the things she had done for her. Even if those things were making time to spend with her. But it was more than a settlement of debt. Cinder didn't want to return the gesture because she felt like she needed to, rather because she wanted to.

 _'Ruby, are you at all busy next Friday?'_

'Nope not really, why?'

'I was hoping you'd accompany me on a date.'

'A d-date?'

'Only if you want to that is.'

'Yes! Ah..I mean yes…That'd be great.'

But planning it was much more difficult than she had anticipated. Usually Cinder would just go to the most well known restaurant in the city, this time it was not the same as her source of 'income' was not as it had been years ago. Even if she could afford a meal at the best restaurant in Vale, it wouldn't feel right. It would feel…more for her. Cinder didn't want that, she wanted this to be for Ruby, but a stop at a casual fast food chain wouldn't have the desired effect.

Dropping hints Blake's way wasn't that either as the girl couldn't really tell her something that she didn't know herself. Of course Ruby assured her that she'd be happy no matter where they went.

In the end all Cinder could do was hope that what she came up with would be adequate.

The Friday of their first official date came much to quick.

Currently it was only a few minutes before Cinder was due to arrive and pick her up and Ruby couldn't have been more nervous. She had been running scenarios and conversation topics through her mind non stop while Yang was busy fishing out something for her to wear.

In the end they decided on a simple red and black dress, not too flashy, the most comfortable and basically the only thing that still fitted her. The girl doubted that the day would ever come when she and Yang could share clothes.

"Chill out Rubes it's just a date." Her sister assured with a wide grin and a half hug - half affectionate pat on her shoulder, nearly throwing the girl off her feet as she struggled to keep her balance.

"Yaaang be careful." She scolded, flailing her arms and wobbling on the black heels that were barely three inches high. "I still don't know how to walk in these…stilts."

Suddenly she wished that she had asked Weiss about how to walk in them or at least practised beforehand. Instead she convinced herself that walking in heels would be a piece of cake, unfortunately for her…it wasn't.

"You know I'm sure Cinder wouldn't mind you going on your date with those pump shoes or something." Her father offered as he exited the front door, scratching his head as he didn't quite know what to say.

Ruby smiled at him before her gaze dropped shyly to the pavement. "Yeah I know but..."

This was something different than a casual get together. It was a date and whether they were official or not, Ruby wanted to put a little more effort into it than she did during their usual outings.

"Looks like someone's in looooveee." Yang jested as she elbowed her sister playfully, Ruby blushing in return and trying her best to hide it as she looked away.

"N-no I'm not." The girl stuttered, her frown curling her lip into a pout.

Two laughed heartedly as Tai wrapped a hand around his youngest's shoulder and squeezing affectionately. His cerulean eyes glinted with amusement as he spoke.

"First let us meet the girl… we can talk about marriage proposals when your mom comes back." He too joined in Yang's harmless teasing and the older of the sisters giggled in return.

"Dad!" By now Ruby refused to look either in the eye as she defensively crossed her arms before her, groaning in protest when he shook her gently as if to cheer her up.

"I'm just teasing Ruby." But before Tai Yang could say anything else, a cab rolled into view, slowly coming to a halt on the side of the street. Ruby instantly perked and her heart got a jumpstart.

When the cab came to a complete halt there was a moment where Ruby didn't breathe at all, but whether it was because she forgot or because it was taken away by the her date's presence the girl didn't know. Dressed in a midnight gown decorated with ashen patterns twisting down the fabric, Cinder made her way up the driveway of the Rose- Xiao Long household as her hips swayed to the rhythmic _'click' 'click'_ of her heels.

Ruby was at a complete loss of words and when she caught Cinder's smouldering gaze it felt like her heart was going to explode with how fast it was beating. The girl wanted to say something, tell her how beautiful she looked but all she could muster was empty words to which the other smiled before turning her attention to Tai Yang.

"You must be Cinder." He stated, smiling warmly at her and offering a hand.

"Mr. Xiao Long." She breathed, gloved hand shaking his own with a firm, yet gentle grip. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I do apologize that it hasn't been sooner."

There seemed to be a bit of strain in her voice and for a moment Ruby wished that she'd introduced them to each other earlier. Surely it would've been less awkward for everyone. But still Ruby's father exerted a warm and calming presence as he spoke in between chuckles. "Please, mister is way too formal… just call me Tai, the pleasure is all mine." It caught Cinder off guard for a but somehow she should've expected it. "Glad to hear you've been keeping my little girl out of trouble."

At the mention of her date, Cinder's gaze drifted towards Ruby. There was a knowing smile on her lips that the girl returned with red faced embarrassment. "That's hardly true Mr. Xiao Long, Ruby is a pleasure to have around."

"Is she now?" Tai raised an eyebrow at his daughter and Yang couldn't stop the giggles that escaped her. "I'm glad to hear that." For a moment there was a period of silence, but with a clap of his hands Tai kept it from becoming uncomfortable. "Well I hate to keep you ladies waiting, I'm sure you'd rather be off on your date."

Cinder nodded and when she extended her hand towards Ruby, the girl wasted no time in taking it and wobbled over to her side. The woman watched the sight with amusement before turning her attention back to Tai.

"Is there an appointed time when I should have Ruby back home?"

He replied with a shake of his head and casual wave as he looked at his daughter. "Don't worry about the timing, you two enjoy yourselves... Just make sure you send your old man a text of when you'll be back…or sleeping over if…that's how it goes." He added and nervously scratched the back of his head. Yang instantly burst out laughing.

"Dad!" Ruby scolded, heating up under all the gazes.

"I'll be sure to have her back before midnight." Cinder interjected, amusement clear in her tone but Ruby was glad that she said something. "Shall we get going?"

Before either could do so, Yang stepped forward, her expression dark and eyes narrowed, almost glowing with intensity. "Just remember that if you hurt my little sister I'll beat you to a pulp." She warned and slammed her fist into her palm for emphasis.

Cinder was unfazed as she looked the woman over. "I wouldn't expect anything less." The gave Tai an acknowledged nod. "It was a pleasure Mr. Xiao Long...little Xiao Long." And Yang a teasing smile as they headed back to the cab waiting for them.

One was confidently striding and the other half wobbling half holding on before they got into the vehicle and drove off, leaving both Xiao Longs in a moment of silence before Tai Yang let out a whistle.

"Man…Where did Ruby find that girl?"

"Ah gross dad!"

The moment that Ruby got into the car she let out a sigh, slouching deep into her chair. "Why did that have to be so awkward?" With the only thing catching her attention being Cinder's amused tone. "Apologies. I wasn't quite sure what to expect myself."

"Oh nononono." The girl insisted, assuring Cinder that it had nothing to do with her, then realising that she was probably making her nervous as well. "You were good… great…you look great. It's just my dad that keeps embarrassing me and stuff. But you're fine… more than fine."

Ruby didn't know if her frantic mumbling was doing any good but she was relieved when she saw the woman smile in return. "Thank you." Only then getting the chance to appreciate the girl's appearance as her gaze swept over her. "You look lovely as well." The woman breathed, darkening Ruby's blush when she shifted closer next to her.

She couldn't bring it upon herself to look directly at Cinder but Ruby wasn't particularly fond of the idea of not looking either.

"You're staring little Rose." The woman mused, enjoying the look for pure surprise when the girl realised her eyes were still on the other. "S-sorry." She stuttered and quickly turned her head to look out the window. "So uhm where are we going?" She asked, hoping that Cinder would forget the fact that she was just caught ogling her.

"Still as impatient as ever I see." The woman teased, amusement clear in her eye when she saw that Ruby was still quite embarrassed. "We'll be there in a few minutes, no need to worry..."

When they did arrive it was at a small restaurant near the waterfront of Vale. Inside the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, well decorated but the aesthetic not overly fancy in Ruby's eye. In fact it was really nice and after being seated within the first two minutes the girl knew that Cinder had gone to a lot of trouble in planning this date. It made both a mixture of warmth and anxiety brew in her stomach.

"So tell me…have you dated before?" Cinder asked as she took a sip of her water, deeming it as good a topic as any to start the night with.

Ruby thought for awhile but shook her head with a shrug. "Nah not really I mean…I've been on a few dates before but never officially y'know. I guess you could say I never had the guts to make the first move." She finished with a nervous chuckle as she smoothed out a few stands of stray hair.

Relationships, especially official ones were never her strong suit. Perhaps it was the sudden worry of somehow messing things up that kept her away…not being good enough.

"I find that hard to believe." Cinder inquiringly raised an eyebrow at the girl. "After all relationships go both ways, don't they?"

"Yeah I guess you're right." The girl agreed and found herself wishing that she had had gone one more dates before. Maybe then she wouldn't be so nervous and unsure of what to say while drinking more water as an attempt to run topics through her mind.

"Have you? Dated I mean."

"Once or twice but those relationships never lasted very long." For a second she seemed to be lost in thought as she ran her fingertips along the smooth edge of the glass. "…I suppose you could say we both wanted different things out of it."

Although that might have been putting it lightly.

In the past most who claimed to be interested weren't because of her, but rather in what she could give. They only used her and when Cinder could see profit in a similar goal she would entertain the idea for a while. That was until she saw no use in them anymore, then she would simply cast them aside without a second thought. And so the cycle of using and being used continued, a warped game of cat and mouse that Cinder eventually grew tired of.

After which she decided that relationships simply weren't worth her trouble. But now…as she looked at Ruby, Cinder found herself wondering when that mindset had changed.

"Ah that's too bad, you'd make a great girlfriend." Ruby quipped and smiled warmly at the other woman with a soft blush growing on her cheeks. It caught Cindecr of guard, something that the girl was gradually getting better at.

"Oh? Do tell." But even so that didn't stop Cinder from firing back a reply ,smirking slyly to herself when Ruby once again became a stuttering mess.

"W-well I mean you're super smart and talented and nice….and also super pretty sooo...yeah." She finished awkwardly, gaze wandering about before widening in surprise when she heard the woman's soft chuckle.

"You flatter me Ruby."

The girl giddily shuffled in her seat, cheeks a glowing red after realising that she just made Cinder laugh a little.

"I try."

It was then when the waiter finally came to serve them their drinks. Glass of red for Cinder and a strawberry milkshake for Ruby, that the girl nearly halved within her first sip.

"Have you eaten here before?" Ruby asked as she took hold of a menu, eyes flying over the dishes listed with a slight frown on her features. "I'm not really sure what to order."

"I was hoping you'd know, I've never been here myself." The woman admitted before turning to the waiter. "Any recommendations?"

"This evening have a special on our fillet. We also serve an excellent range of pasta dishes, of which the seafood is which we are most known for."

"Ooooh." Ruby's eyes instantly shifted to the picture of the dish described and Cinder couldn't help but to crack a small smile.

"I think it's settled then." With that said the woman handed him the menus and he left with a polite smile and curt nod. Leaving the two women in a moment of silence.

"So how was your first year at University?" Ruby asked after finishing her milkshake in just a few gulps. "Blake and Weiss keep telling me how glad they are that they finally finished with exams." Cinder then watched amused as the girl tried to wipe the residue off her face.

"For the most part…Uneventful." The woman then grabbed a napkin of her own and wiped away the blotches of pink that the girl had missed. "But I'd be lying if I said that there wasn't anything worth noting." When Cinder was done she smirked at the girl before her, wide eyed and her ears completely red. "After all I did meet you, didn't I?"

And when her fingers slid down to cup her chin between thumb and forefinger, Ruby's mind struck a blank. She could hear a faint and distinctive wheeze of a kettle boiling on a stove but then again it probably was her brain. Desperately trying to scramble words around to form a sentence.

"An-and I met you too." The moment Ruby uttered those words her mind flashed back to that day and she was reminded that they had known each other for months now. They had gone from complete strangers to Ruby wanting to call her a friend. Knowing that…it made her sigh internally with relief and when her anxiousness came to pass, she smiled warmly at the other. "So I guess it was a pretty great year for both of us."

Cinder's eye widened slightly in surprise but it's shock slowly faded into something softer as she leaned back, voice now more than a breath as she spoke."You never seem to stop surprising me, Ruby."

The girl giggled in return and closed her eyes as she grinned back at Cinder. "I guess that just means that I have to compliment you more."

Ruby's grin had to be contagious for the woman found herself returning it as her the girl's words rang through her mind. Without meaning to a delicate pink blush started to dust her cheeks. It was the first time since Cinder could remember. As she reached to take another sip of her glass the woman hoped that Ruby wouldn't notice while trying to regain her composure, tone cool and even as she spoke.

"Are you looking forward to your last year in high school?"

Just like that Ruby's forehead found the table as she crossed her arms, letting out a dissatisfied groan.

"Ugh."

For what must've been the umpteenth time that night Cinder found herself smiling at her date's antics as she let out a chuckle.

"It seems like we have a common reaction."

With a pout on her lips Ruby's eyes found Cinder's as she let out a sigh, fingers playing absentmindedly with the napkin on the table. "It's just gonna be haaard and I don't know what I'm gonna do and I'll probably need to get an part time job if I wanna go study the year after that."

It was then when Cinder's hand found Ruby's, gently cupping it in an attempt to put the girl at ease.

"No need to worry, I'm sure if you work hard you'll be able to pull it off. Who knows…maybe you'll have a scholarship coming your way."

Ruby's gaze shifted to the hand covering hers and then back to Cinder. The smile on her face different than all of her previous ones, not enthusiastic but rather endearing in a way, the woman couldn't quite place it.

"You sound like you were super good in high school, like you got all the prizes and trophies and stuff."

Cinder couldn't help but to playfully scoff at the notion and strangely she was able to look back at those memories with bittersweet nostalgia. "Unfortunately I was quite the delinquent." She now had a different perspective. For a moment the woman was caught up in how drastically her life changed in but a few years. "That is before I came back and decided to get my life on track."

Ruby looked confused, but then her silwer eyes lit up with realization. "Oh yeah you had to finish high school first…" The girl blinked once..twice. When she tried to think back her mind struck a blank. "Wait how old are you?"

Embarrassment. There really wasn't another word for it. Ruby felt like a complete…dolt when she realised that she never once asked Cinder about that at all. But on the other side of the table Cinder instantly started to chuckle. "Don't let your father hear that."

She couldn't blame the girl for asking, the topic never came up before and she never felt the need to mention it either so Ruby's question shouldn't be surprising. With an amused glint in her eye the woman took another sip of her wine. "I am turning twenty one this year."

The girl let out a groan as she rested her forehead against the table once more. "How do I not know when your birthday is? I mean you know mine sooo..." Then quickly looking up at the other. "When is it? I have to know!"

Cinder paused for a moment, watching with mirth as the girl listen intently, determined to never forget it.

"The 25th of December."

"On Christmas!" She exclaimed with wonder, once again straight up in her chair. Nearby diners gave the girl questioning glances, but Ruby didn't seem to notice and Cinder paid them no mind. It was much more entertaining and adorable to see the girl fawn over something as simple as birthdays.

"Are you gonna throw a party?"

Truly a child at heart.

"…I stopped celebrating after sixteen."

Cinder would be lying, if she said that there weren't times when she wished that she still had a lingering sense of childish wonder.

"Aaaah nooo you have to, birthday parties are fun and tradition so you have toooo."

Perhaps then she would no longer look at the world with such cynicism, but then again blind optimism was hardly any better.

Still… she didn't have to cast it all away.

"Please? I'll bake you a cake."

And with Ruby she didn't have to.

"Only if I get to share it with you." The woman finally gave in and as if on cue, the waiter brought them their servings of food.

Two plates of steaming seafood pasta that looked absolutely mouth watering and Ruby had to remind herself that she was in a public place when she dug in.

"It seems like you worked up quite the appetite." The older woman remarked when Ruby finished her dish in the time that she got halfway through. The girl let out a contented sigh as she grabbed hold of her napkin yet again.

"That was the best pasta I had in like ever." Followed by a sheepish chuckle as she pointed to her face. "Did I get it all this time?"

"It seems so, yes and that's high praise coming from someone who can bake at the top of her head." The woman briefly remembered all the times Ruby insisted on making lunch when she visited. Honestly home cooking at its finest. "Were you self taught?"

"Well not exactly. When my mom comes back home from a mission we always bake together and when she's away I just bake things on my own or with Yang. Mom taught me a lot." The girl exclaimed and slowly her memories started to drift to that of her mother.

"She's in Vacuo, no?" Cinder was mindful of her questions as this was not familiar terrain.

The girl stopped for a moment to think. "Aaah yeah, she should be coming home in a few months so maybe you two could meet."

The thought brought along a sense of dread and when she looked at Ruby's glittering smile she couldn't help but to feel bad. She was judging a woman she had never met.

"I'm a bit hesitant to be honest, I doubt she'd find me…acceptable." But this wouldn't be the first time that she had gone to meet the parents…and having it end in a catastrophe.

"Nah she'd like you." Ruby insisted with a wave of her hand and although it brought her some sense of relief, Cinder was still sceptical. "Aaand she doesn't really have a choice cause I already like you."

The woman instantly cracked a sly grin at the comment, rising her brow inquiringly. "Is that so?" Her voice just above a whisper, successful in setting Ruby's cheeks on fire.

"Yeah…I mean not like that not like…like like- not that that there's anything wrong with that I'm sure that I can like like you…anyone can…but what I-oh no not again." She sighed in defeat, burrying her face into her hands as she tried to escape the embarrassment but Cinder's chuckle made it completely impossible. "You're too easy to tease Little Rose."

And so the rest of the night continued with them talking about everything and anything that came to mind and it grew to be a very enjoyable night.

"Well that was certainly satisfying." Cinder affirmed with contentment as she neatly placed her knife and fork down on her plate. Then turning to Ruby who had turned to a glass of wine. "I'm sure you still have an appetite for dessert?"

The girl grinned back at her and Cinder already knew the answer as it was the girl's favourite.

"You know there's actually the greatest ice cream place a few streets down from here." The girl commented and it quickly drew the other's attention.

"Oh?"

"Yeah the best part is that they're open until late so when Weiss, Blake and Yang go shopping all day I at least get to have some ice cream."

"You should take me there sometime."

"Yeah that'd be great!" Her eyes instantly lit up with barely contained excitement.

"Then it's settled." Cinder stated and mentioned for the waiter to bring her the bill.

"I mean we don't have to go right now." Ruby insisted and a pout quickly formed on her features when she realised that she was probably sounding really selfish right now. "I don't wanna mess up your plans or anything."

But Cinder simply waved her off. "You're not messing anything up Ruby."

And after giving her a reassuring smile, the girl's worry instantly faded away, replaced by excitement.

"Then I'm gonna make sure you get the best ice cream ever!"

Cinder then quickly signed her bill and placed her card in the booklet while Ruby searched her hand bag for money. "Let me just get my-" Her dad even gave her some extra allowance for tonight.

"There's no need for that, Ruby."

Then the girl watched as the waiter took the booklet from her hands, half wanting to grab it before she turned back to the other.

"I- I couldn't let you cover everything." She stuttered while pushing some notes her way, but Cinder paid it no mind when she received her card back.

"I asked you out to dinner, didn't I?"

"Yeah but.." There was nothing that Ruby could say to change the woman's mind and shovelled the notes back into her handbag instead. "But next time I'm covering it." She insisted, tone unwavering and Cinder happily agreed with a nod as she got up.

"Of course."

When the two women stepped outside into the night the air was cool but not unpleasant and with no breeze in the air it was a perfect night to stroll around the waterfront. Everything around them was set alight, still buzzing with a warm yellow glow to it.

Ruby quickly checked her scroll, seeing that it was 10:24 before sending her dad a quick text, telling him that everything was going well.

"Where to Little Rose?" The woman breathed as she looked both ways down the street. Ruby thought for a moment, brow scrunching up in thought.

"Uhmm…this way." Then without looking twice she grabbed hold of her hand and started leading the way, Cinder happily following from behind. "So have you ever walked around Vale like this?"

"On a few occasions, but this would the first time that I've been to the waterfront." She admitted, gaze drifting from the passing couples, shops bathed in light then back to Ruby. "And that I've been accompanied."

Ruby grinned back at her. "Well I'm happy to show you around then." It was only then that the girl realised that she was still holding onto Cinder's hand, radiating a soft heat that slowly made it's way onto her cheeks. She timidly looked up at the woman next to her and Cinder smiled slightly when she felt the other's eyes on her. But she said nothing and for awhile the two of them walked in silence, listening to the incoherent chattering and laughs of people walking past and the rise and fall of the ocean nearby.

"So what's your favourite ice cream flavour." Ruby quipped once they came into a clearing, surrounded by shops with a glittering fountain situated in the middle.

"Mmmn that is quite a difficult question, but I suppose you can never go wrong with plain vanilla."

"One of the classics." Ruby nodded in agreement. "My favourite one is a triple scoop of chocolate, strawberry and caramel ice cream with chocolate sauce and mini marshmallows …with extra sprinkles."

Cinder chucked at the sound of what she guessed must be quite the spectacle and experimental treat.

"You sound like quite the connoisseur."

"There it is!" The girl exclaimed and Cinder could only watch in utter disbelief as Ruby _ran_ towards the small ice cream shop. Nearly running into the glass door before stumbling inside while she trailed from behind. Breathing heavily her silver eyes darted from left to right, finding the place not as busy she would've expected. "You're…you're not closed right?"

The man behind the counter instantly recognised their most frequent and valued customer.

"Luckily not yet miss Rose." As he noticed her unusually formal clothing he was about to ask when Cinder stepped in, sauntering over to stand next to the girl. And that's when it clicked.

"What will it be for you ladies?"

Ruby didn't need asking twice. "I'll just have my usual thanks." She chirped and questioningly looked up at Cinder who was honestly at a loss, letting out a sigh as a smile touched her lips.

"Surprise me."

"She'll have the same." The girl ordered and Cinder didn't quite know whether she should be worried or not. Perhaps a bit for when the two of them were seated on a wooden bench outside, Cinder had no idea how she was going to finish her dessert.

The woman initially thought that it would be saccharine sweet, but found the mingling flavours quite enjoyable. Although she couldn't help but feel a tad childish, for once Cinder didn't mind... Ruby on the other hand had polished her treat long ago, now happily swinging her feet back and forward.

"You wouldn't mind helping me finish this?" She offered and the girl burst out in a fit of giggles at the sight of the dash of chocolate peeking out from the side of Cinder's mouth.

"Looks I found your weakness." She teased and took the cone from hands, then the napkin around it to dap off the stray splotch of ice cream. Cinder's eye widened in surprise at Ruby's action but softened again when she met her gaze. "That you have. I haven't had I've cream like that in quite some time."

"I'm glad then…that I could take you." The girl's eyes seemed to twinkle in the starlight in the sky.

"So am I."

For a while the two of them sat in comfortable silence, contempt with holding the other's hand. Ruby was in pure bliss, thinking about her amazing night as she listened to the distinct sound of a saxophone being played in the distance. It gradually grew louder and soon stray couples nearby started to sway along to the music.

Subconsciously Ruby started to tap her foot to the rhythm and Cinder smiled to herself before checking the time on her scroll. "It appears to be getting late, I should be taking you home soon."

Ruby's expression visibly fell as they got up from the bench, she was just starting to enjoy herself and didn't want to go home just yet. When they started walking, her silver eyes searched the area around them.

"Something bothering you Little Rose?"

"We should do one last thing." The girl insisted as she grabbed hold of Cinder's hand. "…Before we go."

There was that look in her eye again, completely unwavering but the pleading glint to it still remained. Cinder's attention drifted to the musician standing at the edge of the fountain before offering the girl her hand.

"In that case…may I have this dance?"

Ruby's blush darkened tenfold, shuffling on the spot. Dancing had completely slipped her mind and yet again she wished that she was a little bit more prepared, but wasn't about to deny the woman her request.

"Can I take my shoes off first?"

With a chuckle Cinder nodded and started leading her to a more open space, Ruby almost jumping at the touch of cool cobblestone under her feet.

"Okay uhm I don't really how to do this." She confessed shyly when Cinder placed Ruby's hands on her shoulders and her own on the woman's hips. Their sudden closeness sent a shiver down her spine, but Cinder seemed to be un phased and confident as ever.

"No need to worry, just follow my lead."

Cinder rook a slow step forward and then another, Ruby in turn took steps back. Then to the left and forward again, almost tripping over her own feet and she nearly knocked into her partner.

"S-sorry." But Cinder didn't say anything, gradually picking up the pace until both were gliding over the cobblestone pavement.

"Well look at you." Her amber eye shone with praise and pleasant surprise as she slowly twirled the girl around, following her movement seamlessly. "You're a natural."

Ruby smiled sheepishly in reply and looked down at her bare feet and the pair of heels in front of them. "I have no idea how anyone can do this in heels."

"There's not much to it Ruby...simply practice." And when Cinder drew the girl in closer they settled into a swaying rhythm with Ruby gently leaning against the other's chest. Her scent, a blossoming inferno, was warm and welcoming.

"Cinder?"

This time when they looked at each other there was no anxiety or nerves, simply peace and fondness.

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Thanks." A single word. So simple. Still Cinder couldn't quite comprehend the meaning behind it. "And for what might you be thanking me?" To which the girl seemed unsure on how to reply as she shuffled on the spot.

"Y'know…taking me out on this date and I guess helping me and sticking with me this last few terms. I know I'm not really the most mature person out there."

Cinder wondered how many times those words had been said to her, how many times others had to change her. Why else would Ruby be thanking her for something as simple as that?

And yet there she was, loving, kind, trusting and always seeing the potential in others where Cinder would've though there to be none. Ruby was honestly too good for this world and the woman knew that she paled in comparison

If anything Cinder should be one thanking her.

Vale knows how many times she went down the wrong path in her life and continued to stray at times. But Ruby never...not once even considered giving up or cutting her out.

For that reason Cinder would always be grateful, even if she didn't say it. But that didn't mean that she didn't want to. There was so much that she wanted to say, but no amount of words would be able to express how she felt. Perhaps she too didn't quite understand what she was feeling.

"I think youthful is a better word, but I wouldn't want to you to be anything... anyone else." She gingerly cupped the girl's chin between her thumb and forefinger, titling her head just a bit so that she could stare at those shining silver orbs. "...Just you."

And when her lips brushed against the girl's forehead it was like she didn't need to say anything at all.

The soft touch sent an electric jolt down Ruby's spine, all of the blood in her body went up to her cheeks and her mind felt like it was going into overload, but even with all that was happening, Ruby understood. She understood Cinder like no one else. Not perfectly and not without patience and a bit of prodding.

Eventually the time came when simple curiosity turned into genuine interest and at times...concern. And the girl would continue to do so, to try and understand who Cinder is now and who she one was. In turn Ruby showed her both the good and the not so good in her life. Cinder was the only person who could touch her jagged edges without the fear of being cut, to look at the parts Ruby tried to hide without pity or scorn.

And when the girl looked up, Cinder's smouldering gaze was no longer guarded from her. It's unwavering intensity melted into a gentle warmth that seemed to ignite the girl's chest. The sensation was foreign to her, but she welcomed it. The woman stepped back and just like a few moments ago Ruby stepped forward before wrapping her in her arms.

Cinder was rigid at first until she slowly melted into the girl's tender affection, returning the embrace in kind. A smile graced her lips when Ruby's whispered words reached her and along with it, a new memory.

"Just you too."

Ruby never quite understood how her brain worked, but then again she pretty much over dosed on ice cream that night. But strangely this time...when she sat next to Cinder on their way back to the Rose - Xiao Long household, Ruby could do so with ease. The girl leaned against the other's shoulder while Cinder combed her fingers through Ruby's hair, a habit that was getting rather frequent, and both of them just felt so... relaxed, like it has been done countless time before.

Only this time Ruby could understand what she felt. Why it felt so different.

Over the last few months neither of the woman knew were they stood with one another. Cinder wasn't sure how much she could reveal about herself or how close she could come and Ruby in turn didn't know when she was overstepping a boundary. Navigating social cues and trying to decipher unsaid words had become... confusing to the girl. Now...after tonight... that kiss, that single kiss that made her heart flutter and fingers grace her forehead upon trying to remember it.

They finally understood that they were not strangers, not acquaintances and at times 'just friends' weren't accurate either, but that hardly mattered. What mattered is the possibility of what they could become...what they could mean to the other in the future.

And when the two women glanced back at their past memories together, flashing by in a blur of colour like the cars racing past, they couldn't help but to smile at how their relationship came to be.

All of it thanks to a chance meeting.

...a packet of cigarettes

...a few scoops of ice cream...

...Cookies and Cabernet.

 **...**

 **A/N: Well there you go guys! I hope I did alright. I tried to incorporate your suggestions as best I could with making a prequel and I would appreciate the heck out of you if you could help me out a bit. I really want to improve on my writing so feel free to offer some criticism. I'm also very curious and would like to know what parts you liked most and what you didn't like as much. It can be in a PM or review, doesn't matter, I just want to hear from you guys. Thanks again for reading this and supporting my work, it means the world to me. Oh and the details of my future work will be posted on my profile. Until next time :)**


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